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Religion
Adeistic Faith Rashastha Haaka The Rashastha Haaka is a curious blend of secular humanism and a policy of imperialism. The fundamental principle is a marriage of a desire to improve all life, everywhere, and the will to do so whether they want it or not. An operating principle of the Rashastha Haaka is that there must always be castes of society, though these are not determined by birth but by ability and temperament: the bodhi, who guide others toward betterment, the narsi, who mediate wellness and maintain the providence of culture, and the rogi, those who suffer. The bodhi are educated individuals, wise and enlightened, who prepare their world for a better future. The narsi are diligent individuals who, through mutual effort, ensure the wellbeing of their community on every level - if anything, the narsi are seen from without as a working class. The rogi are dealt with in one of two ways: brought into the Haaka and made toward betterment, or released from their lives of suffering to try again tomorrow. If a sufferer is incapable of seeing a way toward a productive life, then such a release is seen as the ideal course, for to let them wallow in their life of suffering is to propagate undue pain in the world. One of the more difficult concepts in the Haaka for outsiders to grasp is the notion of a society without currency. Through ancient tenets and scriptures maintained by the bodhi, an abstract measure of community wellbeing is maintained and individual narsi let to claim whatever it is they need or like based on their accorded merits. As such, any region practicing the Haaka only maintains currency as a means of trade with outsiders. In Alalku, for example, gold, silver, copper and bronze are more frequently used as architectural details and works of public beauty than for any other purpose. As a religious form of communism, the Haaka is not without its issues. All comestibles, for example, are distributed throughout the entire community - so in extremely lean times, all must reduce consumption. In such times, the ability for the narsi to maintain all public services and works often suffers; a single instance of famine can bring any such society to its knees. Equational Motivationalism The mere existence of arcane engineering as a practice led many to rethink their perspective of the world - if that application of mathematical principles exists, what does it say of the sum of existence? As a result, Equational Motivationalism emerged: The notion that, however broad, the multiverse essentially serves as a large-scale probabilistic engine. The argument lends itself credence by the apparent ease with which arcane engineers are able to determine entropy within any system, including esoterica such as meta-economics or propagation of invasive species throughout regions of khtrl. The philosophy serves two primary functions: First and foremost, it advocates that if one has sufficient information at her disposal, she is capable of predicting the outcome of events very precisely, including far-reaching future events. This is the principle of Evaluation. ''The demonstrated application of this - as these minds are often very accurate in their determinations - has led them to be invited to serve as high-priority military advisors in Vath quite often. Secondarily, it expounds upon the principle of Evaluation with the principle of ''Algorithmnesis, or the ability to influence outcomes through influencing derived vectors of influence. In short, this is applying the principles of arcane engineering on a much larger scale. God-backed faiths are very cautious when dealing with Equational Motivationalists. As small as the sect is, the high population of Calculators within it lends the impression that Motivationalists are Very Dangerous People. the Pinnacles of Design The dzerva, over time, have observed that for every machine, there is an ideal balance of work in versus work out. The drive among the dzerva to hyper-optimize individual machines led to the emergence of the Pinnacles of Design, a philosophy that trickled into the rest of an indivual dzerv's life. The Pinnacles have three primary tenets, abbreviated as FRN or vocalized as EFFORN: Efficiency - finding the most effective, least-input means to complete any and all tasks in your day. Organization - never wasting time searching for your notes, tools, wardrobe, or dinner. Industry - waste no time. Always have a project (even if that project is reorganizing or cleaning your domicile). Seen from without as hyper-obsessive busybodies, most Designers regardless get a lot done in a day. The religious devotion to the FRN often leads them to create very effective, very specific tools, as well. Artists following the Pinacles have a tendency toward minimalism. the Apex Predatory A grudgingly-accepted alternative to Dragon Worship in most rén warren-states, the status of the Apex Predatory faith does differ by region (Sea of Fire, for example, does not accept its presence whatsoever, whereas Death's Crossing advocates it over worship of the Dragons). The Apex Predatory advises that yes, the Dragons exist and are peerless predators. But, as a people, we the rén have killed many gods. Could we who have killed gods not elevate ourselves to a level of predatory acumen to thus subjugate those we, ourselves, worship? It is a known state that, once, there were many more dragons - what killed them? ''Regardless of cause, the absence of these dragons indicates such a thing is possible. Thus emerged the Apex Predatory, a belief that through constant trials and struggles, a life of continuous strife and effort whose only reward is the hardening of the Self, one might become capable of preying upon all things. The Apex Predatory acknowledges three vectors of effective predation, called the Arms of Slaughter: Might, speed, and cunning. Thus, one must continuously strive to be faster, stronger, and smarter than all one meets. Further discourse on the art of killing espouses brutality, efficiency, and stealth as ideal marriages of the three Arms of Slaughter - unlike most other rén culture, no form of kill is considered dishonourable to Predators, so long as you execute your mark entirely under your own power. Archery, traplaying, and bombardment of any sort are all entirely valid tactics and strategies to the Predatory, for they all work quite well. A noteworthy element of the faith is that it inherently frowns on bravado - boasting and posturing are more often found in individuals or animals that are not, themselves, apex predators. Wear or bear your trophies, but be not overly proud - after all, you might be another's prey. The Cult of the Muse A curious philosophy fostered by a reclusive subculture from Han Nos Ull. The Cult espouses inspiring great acts and heroic deeds from others, a credo developed from their ultimate mission of recording great events. Members of the cult are themselves quite talented, usually as performers or poets. The Cult's valued bards select individuals to support and record following an unusual metric - they usually target adventurers and heroes, rather than kings or priests. The notion leading to this lies in a root observation that great events occur more frequently in the lives of those individuals than conventional leaders of people - whose lives are more frequently dominated by petty administration and speechmaking, which do not themselves interesting stories make. The Cult has numerous heroic selection criteria: *Valour - individuals with steel enough to throw themselves into impossible situations make excellent fodder for ballads, as they often produce many such situations into which such heroes themselves throw. *Achievement - the ''easiest selection metric - those who have already done impressive things are potentially more likely to commit more such acts in the future. *Venture Potential - individuals who have retired from high-risk life are, frankly, not worth following. *Aptitude - with rare exceptions, the Muse does not follow the 'hapless hero' type, those who luck their way through the world. *Motivation - rapid, frequent activity maintains a high schedule of ventures to record. The Living God the Vathrian Faith Vaato, the First and Only Emperor - The individual responsible for establishing the state of Vath. Rarely seen by any outside of the Imperium's Council of Estates, Vaato began with a single settlement and conquered the now-province of Vath with that rarest of weapons: Words. Legend states Vaato, as a man, spoke to the leaders of his village in a time of need, then ventured to nearby settlements, then cities, then finally Tor Vath, winning audiences with leadership and then winning the regions themselves through simple discourse. Also called the Diplomat God, Vaato made one last appearance before the public some three centuries before present, declaring that he had entered into a covenant with an ancient and profound radiance, and had become something other than human, further proclaiming that befitting his new status he could no longer rule Vath as Vath is a province of people, to be ruled by people. Vaato now resides in the heart of Tor Vath and advises the Council of Estates on matters, frequently offering many conflicting perspectives on issues with a deep level of understanding. the Temple of the Heritor Sun Xihe, Empress of the warren-state Sea of Fire, ascended to a state of divinity under mysterious conditions. What is known of Xihe is this: She ousted the previous regent of Sea of Fire, and then shortly afterward dragon-worship all but vanished in the region. In the dragons' place was Xihe herself, a radiant and powerful god-empress, capable of sweeping acts of blazing fire and glory. The faith of the Heritor Sun is one focusing on an austere and virtuous life - not unlike most Ren culture - but with an ambitious push toward filial recognition rather than subjugation of those proven lesser. The dogma of Xihe is that, to most adequately overcome the issues of sustaining society the People face, they must truly unite as one. This means, above all else, differences must be set aside and friendships fostered. This dogma of compassion is still backed by the People's natural ferocity, however: Worship of the dragons is branded heretical and to be eliminated, as must all who continue to bear the poison of that faith in their hearts. There is another side to the Heritor Sun, as well: Xihe once proclaimed herself a 'purifying flame', with aims to burn away the sins and vices of the whole of the world. As idyllic as Sea of Fire has become in comparison to many other warren-states, there is still that edge of hostility to outsiders present in its society. In Sea of Fire and Sea of Fire alone, Incarnates train as Incarnates of the Heritor Sun, mastery folios in mimicry of the peerless flame their goddess wields. Ariathulrathi Death Cult Kussgo's heart is a more complex maze than was built anywhere else in the country. At its heart is a mystifying holy site for the Ariathulrathi cult: The corpse of Ariathulrak. A great horned body, Ariathulrak lays some hundred feet from the tip of its corpse-snout to the ends of its enormous hooves. Though dead, the corpse possesses a slowly pulsing heart, subtly tensing sinews, and the dimmest of cruel lights in its eyes. Those who spend too long near the cadaver have a tendency to meet their deaths at some aspect of its corpse. Through Ariathulrak, the Kussgo Gigantes have developed a complex philosophy of observation and contemplation - its heart is built on the notion of that vast thing, clearly being dead, yet also not dead. Outside of the Dead Length, undeath is a curiosity rarely seen - particularly not such a vast and perfect manifestation of it. The Cult pursues a membranous state between life and death, an ephemeral forever, for which they have a towering example of the conceptual frailties. Splinter groups assert many things about Ariathulrak: *It is temporarily dead. In time, it will rise again, alive. In so doing, it will probably kill many things. *It will never rise again. Ariathulrak possesses many bodies, and leaves them when they die. *It will never rise again. Ariathulrak is an imperfect manifestation of the concept they observe, for though dead it is inert; it is dead and has also died. *It is permanently dead, only inert as its vital essence is roaming. When it returns, it will be dead, but walk and perhaps speak. Splinter groups both worship Ariathulrak as a god, and indicate Ariathulrak as proof of concept. The interpretation differs. The Sealed Gods Primordial Cultism These entities are representative of a single cultic pantheon, though the individuals following this pantheon rarely observe more than one or two. Each of these gods purports to have been born mortal, though when made physically manifest none of them truly resembles any remaining mortal peoples save Tcera. *Verac - God of Deepest Darkness and the Threshhold. Brother to Raloc. Sanctum: Conch *Raloc - God of Incandescence and Bounteous Light. Brother to Verac. Sanctum: Glasswall *Ulla - Goddess of Beasts, the Wilderness, and the Earth-and-Stone. Rarely referred to by name as She is Beyond Thought. Sanctum: Lith *Irrach - God of Sacrifice and Things Unknowable. Enemy-Husband of Shaamti. Sanctum: Echo *Shaamti - Goddess of Industry and Knowledge By Any Means. Enemy-Wife of Irrach. Sanctum: The Face *Tcera - Goddess of Warfare and Acute Balance. The Anti-God, Slayer of Gods. Sanctum: Fulcrum Submerged Moons Faith Those rare gods the People were unable to kill outright. Instead, the People drove the Moons into prepared prions, into which they were sealed, ideally for eternity. Like Primordial Cultism, the Submerged Moons are themselves components of a single pantheon, but those cultists following these deities rarely worship more than one. The Submerged Moons Faith is a curious name to modern People, but this is how these gods have been known for eons. The People know little of the surface world's moons anymore, but they do know there is little correlation between the Submerged Moons and the actual lunar bodies. *Vanruk - He Who Stands Alone. God of Tools-To-Kill and Strength-At-Arms. Known to have been unable to be harmed by combat. Tomb: Golden Arcade. *L'ylabk - Her Most Invisible Glory. Goddess of Transmission and the Manifold Way. Known to have been unable to remain in one place. Tomb: Everywhere Web. *Anoc - The Lonely God. God of Genocide, Regret, and Recuperation. Known to have blessed the People in their assault upon his own cult and person. Tomb: The Begging Hands. *Dyllhasa - The Light That Guides Discovery. Goddess of Voluminous Knowledge and Esoterica . Known to have forestalled the entire war effort with discourse until a chorus of warrior-poets were able to argue her into retreat. Tomb: A Valley Between Reason Dragon Worship The Dragons are believed to be entirely timeless and are Known to Be Real Things in all faiths of the setting. Worship of the dragons is culturally rare, as most view them as predators of mortals and alien to mortal desires or wishes - few would pray to the Primordial Enemy. The rén, on the other hand, do worship the Dragons and always have. The belief of the rén is that the Dragons were born alongside the People, and made by secret force of mind to serve the best interests of the People, for eternity. This has served to culturally justify the problems the People face - to them, the Dragons permitted them as challenges for the People to overcome. The Dragons go where they go, destroy what they destroy, and no force in creation is capable of stopping them. O prevents people from venturing too far into the sky, Katal rifts the earth sky and mends them both anew, often swallowing entire cities, and the others their own unique forms of calamity. *O - Dragon of The Darkness Between The Stars. *Sthène - Dragon of Force Unyielding and Ever-Changing. *Katal - Dragon of Metamorphosis, Change, Passion, and Violence. *Bêru - Dragon of Time and Proscribed Tethers of That Which Happens. Dead Gods the Host Over Shandu the Legacies Broken Long ago, when the People were first sealed into the underground, there were many other peoples with their own cultures in the subterrane. The People killed them all, and many of their gods. The Legacies Broken are the shattered fragments of those gods, an inherently unnatural occurrence resultant from the People effectively collecting their cadavers separately from those of their followers. The People, in that time, essentially enshrined the gods they slew in collected displays, as trophies of their power: If you prove troublesome to us, we will not only kill you, but your gods and children as well. So much latent power sealed away into such small areas, in time, led to the dead gods forming aggregate entities. The aggregate entities are undead by nature, and very disoriented as a result of their many-as-one intellect. They roam the subterrane, often hostile and as often unable to be permanently slain. the Kav The ancestor-gods of the Kavren. A strong component of the complex tribal beliefs of the Kavren is that, in addition to being chosen for eternal strife and personal conquest by the Dragons, they are entirely the spoor of ancient gods; as such the root ancestry of each tribe is accorded an amount of veneration. The Kavren burn joss objects to these ancestor-entities as indications of aspiration toward greatness. As the ancestors themselves are dead, there is no expectation of favour in the kavren from the Kav; instead, the expectation is that those who do prove their greatness in life may join the host of the Kav in death. The addition of new Kavren to the host of the Kav does occur. It is still an incredibly rare occurrence, however.